"Aghhhh... why? Why does she keep refusing to run away with me?" Ivis's mind was a storm of silent screams and jagged frustration. They were halfway through this grueling journey, and for fifteen agonizing days, he had lived a double life. By day, he played the submissive servant, tending to horses and avoiding the gaze of the Demon Lord; by night, or in the quiet corners of the forest, he had pleaded, bargained, and begged his sister to flee.
Every single time, the answer was a crushing rejection. He had been patient. He had remained calm, swallowing his pride as he watched Iris wither under the psychological weight of her impending "marriage" to Fuyu. But fifteen days was his limit. His sanity was fraying.
